The opening goal by Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma in the fourth minute marks the fastest goal of Euro 2004. A rematch in Lisbon would have made a fitting finale, but both teams came unstuck in the semis of a wildly unpredictable tournament. Their previous dates back to 18 June 1996 when England beat them 4-1. Video, 00:01:31, DC United job not a 'backward step' - Rooney, No reason why Chelsea cannot compete - James. A draw would leave Bruckners side top of the group, but in a precarious position. These were two sides packed with promise: Arjen Robben, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edgar Davids against Petr Cech, Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky. The last team to produce such a comeback was Portugal who beat England 3-2 after going 2-0 down. Defeat to the Netherlands saw them struggle in their group during Euro 2000, while Advocaats men were also the only team to take points off the Czechs in qualifying for the tournament. Greeces stunning success may have been a triumph for the outsiders if not one for the footballing purists, but the Dutchs dramatic date with the Czechs was the game at is unadulterated best as both teams brought endless energy and attacking endeavour. 
Clarence Seedorf twice went close with a free-kick that just edged past the post and a long-range shot after a good move involving Edgar Davids and Van Nistelrooy. Jonny Heitinga was dazzled, dismissed for two desperate fouls on the Czech playmaker.
Baros excellent throughout Euro 2004 as he claimed the tournaments Golden Boot was again at the heart of it, running forward menacingly in possession before teeing up Heinz, whose fierce low drive was palmed away by Van der Sar. Meet the diver trying to keep the cliffs clean. Dick Advocaat blinked on the hour, swapping the electrifying Robben for the midfield makeweight Paul Bosvelt.
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Vladimir Smicer celebrates after scoring the Czech Republics dramatic late winner. Video, 00:02:14, Is this the worst miss you've ever seen? In the history of the European Championship four goals were scored in the third minute. Him and me both. The Manchester United striker was still complaining when the ball came back for Davids to find Robben and he squared it for Van Nistelrooy, who had come from an offside position to tap home. Andy van der Meyde drew a save from Petr ech and quickly afterwards Edwin van der Sar was in action to keep out Karel Poborsk.
There was still time for the Dutch to chase an equaliser, but Rafael van der Vaarts last-gasp header squirmed wide. Peter Ekstrm (Sweden) Germanys 0-0 draw with Latvia earlier in the day probably left both coaches confused as to how good their first result really was, and that might explain the chaos with which the game began. The Dutch were left devastated at their capitulation to the Czechs, whose adventurous and ambitious attacking ensured one of the most memorable European Championship encounters in modern memory.
The early stages of the second half were similarly action-packed. At 2-0, the Czechs might have decided to conserve their energy and hold out for their meeting with an underwhelming Germany team, but perhaps the nature of the goal had given them cause for vengeance of their own. The Netherlands ended their seven match unbeaten run in the European Championship. Rather, we were stunned that he could also see that was the case.
The equaliser wouldnt come easily, though, and Bruckners side would need to work hard to create the perfect goal to draw level.
Man of the Match: Now its time for the classic between Czech Republic and the Netherlands at Euro 2004, Scorers: 0:1 Bouma 4, 0:2 Van Nistelrooy 19, 1:2 Koller 23, 2:2 Baro 71, 3:2 micer 88, 19.06.2004 (19.45) Aveiro, Estdio Municipal de Aveiro, Att: 29,935, CZE: ech; Grygera (micer 25), Ujfalui, Jirnek, Jankulovski; Galsek (Heinz 62), Poborsk, Rosick, Nedvd (c); Baro; Koller (Rozehnal 75), NED: Van der Sar; Bouma, Stam, Cocu (c); Heitinga, Seedorf (Van der Vaart 86), Davids, Van Bronckhorst; Van der Meyde (Reiziger 79), Van Nistelrooy, Robben (Bosvelt 58). His free-kick clattered into the keepers chest before a ludicrous swerving exocet pounded the crossbar. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Thats not to take away from the Liverpool mans strike.
Powerful forward Jan Koller could only divert a volley over the bar after some good work from Tom Rosick before Marek Jankulovski rolled an effort into the grateful gloves of Edwin van der Sar. The Czech Republic really should have won Euro 2004. Brckners side started brightly in Aveiro. Brckners side were somewhat fortunate to head into the break only 21 down, though, as Davids fired a low shot against echs post just before half-time. Suddenly we had what was effectively a 20-minute cage match, next goal wins, and the pendulum continued to swing the Czechs way when Heitinga was sent off for a second yellow card.
The Czech Republic needed no extra motivation for this battle following previous meetings. Fourth official:
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Van der Meyde (Reiziger 79), van Nistelrooy,
25, Average age:
Eventually, the Dutch resistance was breached. John Heitingas rasping effort from distance was brilliantly saved by the fingertips of ech before another long-range strike from Seedorf narrowly missed the target.
The Czechs have won their last seven competitive matches since drawing with the Netherlands in a March 2003 qualifier, and have not lost in their last ten competitive matches since losing 1-0 at home to Belgium in a World Cup qualification match in November 2001.
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Then, the Czech breakthrough arrived.
Fourth official:
Nedvd clipped a cross into Koller, who then chested the ball perfectly into the path of the 22-year-old to crash home a glorious half-volley. The second goal arrived not long after, and this time it was Van Nistelrooy himself doing the business.
Video, 00:02:32, Archive: Netherlands v Czech Republic - Euro 2004, Up Next. The Manchester United striker was clear of the last defender as the ball was played through to Robben some might even say he was goal-hanging but a new phase had begun by the time the winger had slid the ball across the face of Petr Cechs goal to give his team-mate a tap-in.
His initial shot drew a diving save from Van der Sar but, when the ball broke loose to Poborsk, he feinted to shoot, instead passing to Vladimir micer to tap in. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'RcA7OifEQrlCDO_JzT2vJQ',sig:'e1w3YgbJocBvhZGnRHNU_FzAiAQF-nM_-rZJmM9YmCQ=',w:'594px',h:'385px',items:'50977324',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Karel Brckners free-scoring Czech side are often looked back at fondly as the most exciting side of Euro 2004, but when revisiting the opening exchanges of their classic clash with the Dutch, it becomes clear that there were defensive deficiencies that prevented a good side from becoming great.
The Dutch would need a result in their last match against Latvia to progress. Before he could get on, they had pulled a goal back. Following a brief pause for respite at the interval, the breathless affair resumed in a similar vein to the first half.
Their opponents kept pouring forward, unable to dial back the intensity that had swept them into the lead. Poborsky reacted quickest to the rebound, showing both selflessness and awareness to square instead of shoot, allowing Smicer to tap home a dramatic late winner and seal the Czechs progress. Subs not used: Blazek, Kinsky, Mares, Lokvenc, Vachousek, Pavel Nedvd (Czech Republic)[4], Assistant referees: Rafael Guerrero Alonso (Spain) Video, 00:01:18, No reason why Chelsea cannot compete - James, I disagree with the LIV Golf Series - Woods. Nedved was mesmeric as he glided between lines, linking with Karel Poborsky with both players testing Edwin van der Sar in the opening exchanges of the second half.
We began with Yugoslavias fightback against France in the semi-final of the 1960 European Nations Cup and continued with Englands victory against the Netherlands at Euro 96andthe thrilling quarter-final between Germany and Turkey at Euro 2008. New Chelsea signing Arjen Robben swung a free-kick over the heads of the Czech defenders and into the path of Wilfred Bouma, who found space behind the opposition back-line to nod past the helpless Petr ech. Van Nistelrooy felt understandably aggrieved to have seen a strong penalty shout waved away, with Tom Ujfalui clearly holding the Dutchman to prevent him from getting a shot away in the box, but the Netherlands continued to probe. Jankulovski, Galasek (Heinz 62), Poborsky, Rosicky, Nedved, Fourth official: Group stages of major tournaments can sometimes be damp squibs, but Euro 2004 threw up a game for the ages.
De Telegraaf would later describe the substitution as inexplicable. Van Nistelrooy had claims for a penalty turned down before Petr ech demonstrated why Chelsea were prepared to pay 11m for his services with a superb save to deny Heitinga.
Bruckner threw on Marek Heinz, another forward.
Germanys shock draw with Latvia had left Group D up for grabs. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. Michael Ballack (Germany)[2], Assistant referees: Video, 00:00:42, Lingard scores rocket in 2016 FA Cup final, Sorry to the whole nation! - Williamson apologises for keeping fans up.
Is this the worst miss you've ever seen? First, Clarence Seedorfs shot from range bounced away off the post, then Edgar Davids low drive did the same. Now they pushed for a winner and came incredibly close to getting one when Nedvd cannoned a shot off the crossbar. One might argue the game deserved a winner of such quality, but the football gods said no.
Thats not to say the stakes werent high here. After the free-flowing, fearless attacking of their first four victories, they either froze or forgot what made them great. After all, this was a game with three goals in the opening 23 minutes when only two of the 15 group games before that managed more in a full 90. Video, 00:00:46Marshall: Scotland's hero in Serbia, Matondo hopes to end Wales camp on high.
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Two goals ahead with less than a quarter of the game played, you could have been forgiven for thinking the Dutch were in cruise control, but this was no ordinary Czech side and just four minutes later their mountainous task was halved. Video, 00:01:21, I disagree with the LIV Golf Series - Woods, Fans must be protected - Klopp on Champions League final. Serge Vallin (France) As we know now, though, Karel Bruckners Czechs were just getting started.
Video, 00:01:31, Sorry to the whole nation! - Williamson apologises for keeping fans up, England's Lionesses try obscure British snacks. Jens Larsen (Denmark) It would later prove to be a decisive change. The Juventus talisman tried his luck from the resulting free-kick from 35 yards but saw Van der Sar make a double save, firstly from his set-piece and then from substitute David Rozehnals follow-up. Both sides were fully committed to attacking football, which left gaps at the back and led to no shortage of chances.
The game of football is many things to many people. Koller came off, giving Nedved space to step forward and weave his magic. The Netherlands began to take charge with Clarence Seedorf twice trying his luck from range, before the pressure told as Arjen Robben crossed for the unmarked Ruud van Nistlerooy meandering his way back onside in classic Van Nistelrooy fashion to tap home an opportunity he was never going to miss. Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain). By the time Wilfried Bouma headed home in the fourth minute, against the run of play, you could sense this would be special. Still, no one expected what came next a game Alan Hansen said was the best he had ever seen. Behind, still, after an hour of play, the gung-ho game-plan of Brckner took a new twist as Marek Heinz scorer of the late winner against Latvia was introduced for Tom Galsek, leaving the Czech team with minimalist defensive balance as a third forward was thrust into action. But when everything comes together, nothing else compares. Fourth official: That marked a decisive shift in favour of the Czech Republic and it was quickly followed by another when Heitinga was sent off for a second foul on Nedvd. Newcastle United: How Saudi takeover is affecting football in Yemen, Denmark win Euro 92: John Sivebk remembers unlikely victory, 30 years on, Gerry Armstrong: Remembering Northern Irelands 1982 World Cup heroics. Milan Baro (Czech Republic)[1], Assistant referees:
Fourth official: Video, 00:00:50Matondo hopes to end Wales camp on high, World's strongest men try Commonwealth Games sports. Video, 00:03:34World's strongest men try Commonwealth Games sports, 'Love me or hate me, you're going to watch me fight' Video, 00:00:32'Love me or hate me, you're going to watch me fight', Lingard scores rocket in 2016 FA Cup final. Soon the Oranje were threatening to run riot as Clarence Seedorf came desperately close twice in quick succession, first from a free-kick and then from a fizzing shot as the Czechs struggled to live with their opponents pace and vibrancy.
Nations League: A good idea or a waste of time? Euro 2004 pitted the Netherlands and Czech Republic together in a difficult looking group that also contained World Cup finalists Germany, with debutants Latvia given little chance against three sides with pre-tournament hopes of reaching the latter stages. The Czech Republics marking left plenty to be desired as the Dutch opened the scoring after just four minutes, Arjen Robbens in-swinging free-kick met by the head of Wilfred Bouma, who somehow ghosted in at the far post unnoticed despite the illuminous orange glow of the Netherlands national colours.
Germany and Latvia failed to advance. Baro carried forward a swift counter-attack for his side before finding substitute Marek Heinz, whose low drive was parried by Van der Sar into the path of Poborsk. Steinar Holvik (Norway)
They led after three minutes with virtually their first attack of the game. But when everything comes together, nothing else compares.
The Czech Republic, already in the ascendancy, also received a timely boost in the closing stages, with Heitinga sent off after his second yellow card, both of which were awarded for fouls on the excellent Nedvd. The imperious Davids hit the post with a low, angled strike, before Van Nistelrooys point-blank effort was repelled by the elastic Cech. In this case, though, the Netherlands were buoyed by the prospect of revenge after taking just one point against their opponents en route to Portugal, while the Czech Republic were buoyed by trying to prevent that exact thing. Still the Dutch might well have been further ahead by the interval as they continued to press for more goals. A cash cow, a community lifeline; an intermittent source of national pride.
They eased past Denmark in the quarter-finals but came up short against a Greek side who edged them out thanks to Traianos Dellas Silver Goal in extra-time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UEFA_Euro_2004_Group_D&oldid=1098720581, Pages using sports table with possibly ignored parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The winner of Group D, Czech Republic, advanced to play the runner-up of, The runner-up of Group D, Netherlands, advanced to play the winner of, This page was last edited on 17 July 2022, at 05:28. Video, 00:01:18No reason why Chelsea cannot compete - James, I disagree with the LIV Golf Series - Woods. Dick Advocaats Dutch squad had drawn with Germany first time out, while the Czechs had come from behind to sneak a late win against Latvia through Marek Heinz, the Banik Ostrava winger who fulfilled the role of breakthrough star which Karel Poborsky had taken eight years prior. Entertaining and enthralling throughout however, the courageous Czechs won plenty of admirers and heres hoping the current contingent and their Dutch counterparts can evoke some of the spirit of 2004 when rivalries are resumed this evening. Holland will wonder how they lost the game. Robben put in a fine cross that seemed destined for the head of Van Nistelrooy but he looked to be fouled in the air. Video, 00:03:34, World's strongest men try Commonwealth Games sports, 'Love me or hate me, you're going to watch me fight' Video, 00:00:32, 'Love me or hate me, you're going to watch me fight', Lingard scores rocket in 2016 FA Cup final. Giovanni van Bronckhorst needlessly gave the ball away to Baros, who ran at Stam and appeared to have found his way blocked. Koller chested the ball smartly into the path of Baros, whose sledgehammer shot scorched Edwin van der Sars fingertips on the way in.
Van der Sar, caught off-balance, pushed the ball out to Karel Poborsky, who cut it back for Smicer to complete an extraordinary comeback. The Dutch were stuck in fifth gear, and the gaps between the lines grew. Jrgen Jepsen (Denmark) On that occasion, they were punished for failing to get everything to click, almost as if to tell them you had your chance. Stuart Dougal (Scotland). You can read more about how we do them here: read more, The 10 Greatest Matches In European Championship History: Netherlands v Czech Republic, Euro 2004, The Complete History of the European Championship, Englands victory against the Netherlands at Euro 96, Denmarks improbable victory against the Netherlands, Denmarks fightback against Belgium at Euro 84, Womens Euro 2022: The super fan jetting in from Singapore for the finals. It swerved.
Both sides ultimately progressed before falling at the semi-finals, as the Netherlands were beaten by host nation Portugal and the Czech Republic blunted by the stoic defensive rearguard of rank underdogs and eventual shock champions Greece.
Brckner often started his side in a 4-4-2 system with the contrasting talents of Milan Baros and Jan Koller proving problematic for opposition defences, with the duo combining to bring the Czechs back into the contest. Their lead lasted just four minutes as the Dutch handed the Czechs a lifeline.
That all changed on June 19, though, when the Netherlands and the Czech Republic played out one of the most frenetic, mile-a-minute games in group stage history. Sent Off: Heitinga (75).
COVERAGE DETAILS: How to follow Euro 2020 on the BBC, Watch highlights of Euro 2020 on BBC One, BBC Two, the BBC Sport website, app and BBC iPlayer, Archive: Netherlands v Czech Republic - Euro 2004. Video, 00:01:36, Meet the diver trying to keep the cliffs clean, DC United job not a 'backward step' - Rooney. Van Nistelrooy twice forced the Czech keeper into action as there was no let up in the speed of the contest. micer had a powerful drive superbly stopped by Van der Sar, but the goalkeeper had no chance as Baro emphatically netted the equaliser. Still, Brckner tweaked his approach, withdrawing right-back Zdenk Grygera and replacing him with Liverpool man Vladimr micer, adopting a three-man back-line with greater attacking impetus in the final third. But the woodwork intervened, andPoborsky couldnt react quickly enough to turn in the rebound with the goalkeeper out of the picture.
Frdric Arnault (France)
After 19 minutes, the Netherlands persistence paid dividends, with Ruud van Nistelrooy netting his second goal of the tournament to put them 20 up. It was a question of whether hed try to hit the ball under the goalkeeper or beat him with power, but somehow he found a third way.
Imploring his side to continue to push forward with attacking verve and vibrance, Brckners attacking principles secured a stunning comeback win and qualification to the knockout stages with just two minutes remaining in Aveiro.
Jan Koller & Milan Baro combined #OTD at EURO 2004 in the Czech Republic's remarkable 3-2 comeback against the Netherlands!
And with two minutes to go Heinz fired in a low shot that Van der Sar did well to save, but Karel Poborsky was first to the rebound and he squared for Smicer to tap in. Stupendously talented players were let off the leash, unburdened by tactical dogma.
The Czech Republic began on the front foot after the restart.
Dick Advocaats Oranje had it all to do following a 11 draw against Germany in their first Group D outing. Czech Republic beat Netherlands after being 2-0 down. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Seedorf (Van der Vaart 86), Cocu, Davids,
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Arjen Robben took the set-piece and swung the ball into the area where Wilfred Bouma was able to head in, completely unmarked at the back post. The Liverpool striker was initially held up by Jaap Stam but just managed to work the ball across to Koller who slotted into the empty net. Four minutes later, though, the Netherlands lead was made somewhat less comfortable. Spain, Italy and Germany went out at the group stage and it was Greece, the ultimate spoilers, who took the trophy. Video, 00:03:02, Fans must be protected - Klopp on Champions League final.
The Mainz manager, Jrgen Klopp, may have been taking notes. We have all sat and watched a match simply fail to happen. Hes probably never hit a ball more cleanly, getting his body over it just enough and timing it just right to send it accelerating seemingly exponentially on its way into the net. The Netherlands and Czech Republic meet in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 this evening, with both sides hoping to replicate memorable performances from previous European Championships.
Video, 00:02:14Ten Hag on Ronaldo, Eriksen and Martinez. Much to his and the supporters frustrations, Robben was withdrawn for Paul Bosvelt, taking the wind out of the Netherlands attacking sails. 1664.0 %, Confederation: Inevitably, with just two minutes left, we got that moment.